A barrister whose daughter was born 12 weeks premature is taking part in a hundred mile cycle ride to raise money to help families with babies born early or ill.
Oliver Wraight, from Princes Risborough is looking to raise money for special baby care charity Bliss, through taking part in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 event alongside colleagues from family law firm Harcourt Chambers.
In July 2013 Mr Wraight’s daughter Alice was born 12 weeks premature at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, weighing just 1.23kg.
He said: “There had been no indication of any problems with my wife’s pregnancy and so when we told that her waters had broken we were extremely shocked.”
Just a day after the couple were given the news, Alice was born and given her size she required immediate medical treatment.
Several days later her parents were able to hold her for the first time.
Alice stayed at the John Radcliffe for a week, where she was treated for meningitis and then she was moved to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for a further six weeks. She has now recovered and is a healthy, growing little girl.
Mr Wraight said: “We received lots of literature from Bliss which made understanding the process easier, and the parents’ room at the hospital had lots of Bliss information too.
“One of the main positives that we took from the Bliss information was realising that lots of other people had been through the same scenario before us and come out the other side having got through it.
“That helped enormously when we were having low moments and were worried about how Alice was doing, and whether she might have any problems in the future.
“Thankfully after what seemed like an eternity, Alice came home safe and sound from hospital and she is now a very happy and healthy baby, constantly on the move and she’s just had her first birthday.”
Mr Wraight has taken part in other challenges before including a half-ironman triathlon in June 2013, and four London Marathons, but this will be his first time riding the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100.